Bead-weaving system

ABSTRACT

The present invention pertains to a bead-weaving system comprising means for spacing apart a multiplicity of warp threads, each of said beads being pierced by a hole through their diameter and intended to be threaded on a weft thread by means of a needle and to be positioned between each warp thread  
     The bead-support device is constituted by a baseplate intended to be positioned under the warp threads so as to maintain said beads during the forward weaving and the return weaving of said weft thread transversely to said warp threads.  
     The needle presents a body comprising at one end an eye for passage of a weft thread and at the other end a point comprising means for holding said beads.  
     The bead-weaving system moreover comprises at least one bin presenting a multiplicity of walls as well as an opening in one wall, which opening is equipped with a closing means, with said opening feeding over a receiving tray with rims to make available the at least partial content of said bin and to concentrate the reentering flow when storing in the interior of said bin.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention pertains to the field of bead weaving.

[0002] More specifically, the present invention pertains to abead-support device for a bead-weaving system, a needle for a weavingsystem and a storage device for a bead-weaving system.

PRIOR ART

[0003] Traditionally, bead weaving—whether on a recreational, handicraftor industrial basis—has been performed by hand and requires a particulardexterity.

[0004] In order for the beads to be held in position, it is necessary toperform a forward weaving and a return weaving of the weft thread,transversely to the warp threads.

[0005] This operation is problematical especially when implementing thereturn weaving because it is necessary that the holes in the beads becorrectly aligned so as to allow passage of the weft thread in each ofthe holes of the beads.

[0006] Furthermore, the operation of threading the beads on the needlebecomes more difficult because the beads that have already been threadedmust be held back with a finger so that they do not fall off due togravity when it is desired to thread additional beads.

[0007] Making available the beads also creates problems since it isnecessary to be able to easily choose the sufficient quantity of beadsof the desired color during the bead selection phase, since thebead-stitching phase requires having available an adequate surface andsince it is also necessary to have available means for storing theunused beads.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The goal of the present invention is to resolve the drawbacks ofthe prior art by proposing a system to facilitate the weaving and toenable easy production of the products, without particular concern fordexterity, by facilitating selection of the beads, their stitching andthe storage after weaving of the unused beads.

[0009] Thus, the present invention pertains to a bead-weaving systemcomprising means for spacing apart a multiplicity of warp threads, eachof said beads being pierced by a hole through their diameter andintended to be threaded on a weft thread by means of a needle and to bepositioned between each warp thread.

[0010] The bead-support device is constituted, in its broadest sense, ofa baseplate intended to be positioned under the warp threads so as tomaintain said beads during the forward weaving and the return weaving ofsaid weft thread transversely to said warp threads.

[0011] The needle, in its broadest sense, presents a body comprising atone end an eye for passage of a weft thread and at the other end a pointcomprising means for holding said beads.

[0012] The bead-weaving system comprises at least one bin presenting, inits broadest sense, a multiplicity of walls as well as at least oneopening provided on a wall and equipped with a closing means, with theopening of said bin feeding over a receiving tray with rims to makeavailable the at least partial content of said bin and to concentratethe reentering flow when storing in the interior of said bin

[0013] Said baseplate of the bead-support device preferably comprises areturn end. Said baseplate also preferably comprises means makingpossible suspension of said bead-support device on the warp threads.Said means enabling suspension of said bead-support device on said warpthreads are preferably constituted by a band of material that can bepositioned across said warp threads. Said base preferably presents atleast partially an unsmooth surface as well as means for the regularspacing apart of said warp threads. Said regular spacing means can beconstituted by a multiplicity of regularly spaced apart cavities inwhich can be positioned the free parts of the warp threads.

[0014] Thus, the bead-support device facilitates the weaving of the weftthread and enables easier and more rapid weaving operations.

[0015] The free diameter of the needle's holding means is between 110and 200%, preferably on the order of 140%, of the average internaldiameter of said holes. In one variant, said holding means areconstituted by a flocking. In another variant, said holding means areconstituted by a multiplicity of barbs. In another variant, said holdingmeans are constituted by a multiplicity of strips. Said strips arelongitudinal, transverse or helicoid. The point of the needle ispreferably blunt.

[0016] Thus, due to the holding means, the beads that have already beenthreaded on the needle are maintained, the previously threaded beads donot interfere with the threading of additional beads and it is mucheasier to thread additional beads.

[0017] The bin's receiving tray preferably has an unsmooth covering.This unsmooth covering is preferably constituted by felt. The receivingtray can be located, for example, in the extension of a base wall of thebin. In one variant, said bins are arranged in pairs with each pair ofbins fitted with a single receiving tray and a single shutter which canbe moved between a position in which the first opening is free, aposition in which both openings are blocked and a position in which thesecond opening is free. The shutter preferably separates said receivingtray into two compartments. This shutter has either the form of a rigidhammer whose handle is mounted in a mobile manner on a shaft or in theform of a flexible, deformable hammer. The storage device is preferablyconstituted of two parts, with the bin bottom and the receiving trayforming a first part and the top wall and the lateral walls of the bin,plus the shutter and the rims of the receiving tray forming a secondpart.

[0018] Thus, the storage device according to the invention, with itsreceiving tray system, makes available a surface which is both a displaysurface facilitating the threading of the beads in a delimited zone andalso a surface facilitating the storage, equipped with rims convergingtoward the opening of the recipient(s).

[0019] Thus, likewise, the storage device according to the invention isvery simple to implement and inexpensive, especially in its variant ofpaired bins, each closed by a single shutter forming separation of thereceiving tray into two compartments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Better comprehension of the invention will be obtained from thedescription below of one mode of implementation of the invention,presented for purely explicative purposes with reference to the attachedfigures:

[0021]FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the bead-weaving system;

[0022]FIGS. 2.1 to 2.4 illustrate front views of different variants ofimplementation of the needle;

[0023]FIGS. 3.1 to 3.5 illustrate different views of the bead-supportdevice;

[0024]FIGS. 4.1 to 4.3 illustrate different views of the storage device;

[0025]FIGS. 4.4 to 4.6 illustrate different views of the use of thestorage device, the top wall of which has been artificially removed; and

[0026]FIGS. 5.1 to 5.5 illustrate different views of the use of thebead-support device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] The system (10) according to the invention, shown in FIG. 1, is asystem for weaving beads (20).

[0028] The system (10) comprises at least one frame (30) for theimplementation of a multiplicity of warp threads (40) and a needle,which can be connected to a weft thread (60), such that said beads (20)can be threaded.

[0029] The system (10) comprises means enabling the spacing apart of amultiplicity of warp threads (40).

[0030] The frame (30) presents lateral flanks (31, 32) as well as atleast one transverse guide (33) and preferably two transverse guides(33), comprising a succession of cavities and protrusions, with thecavities being intended to receive the warp threads (40).

[0031] The frame (30) also comprises means (34) for attaching the endsof the warp threads (40).

[0032] Said beads (20) are pierced by a hole (21) through their diameter(22) and are intended to be threaded on a weft thread (60).

[0033] The needle (50) presents a body comprising at one end an eye (51)for passage of a weft thread (60) and at the other end a point (52), asshown in FIG. 2.1.

[0034] The needle (50) comprises means for holding said beads (20).

[0035] The overall length is on the order of 60 millimeters.

[0036] The point (52) is preferably slightly conical over approximately6 millimeters and blunt, so as to make it less dangerous, especially forchildren; the eye has a length of at least 2 millimeters so as tofacilitate passage of the weft thread (60).

[0037] The weft thread (60) is maintained on the needle (50) by beingthreaded in the eye (51).

[0038] The beads (20) are threaded on the needle (50) via the point (52)and are then threaded on the weft thread (60). It is therefore necessarythat the outside diameter of the needle (50) be smaller than the insidediameter of the holes (21) in the beads (20).

[0039] The needle (50) comprises means for temporarily holding saidbeads (20) at least at its point (52), or over almost the entirety ofits surface or in fact over the entirety of its surface. These holdingmeans are designed to cooperate with the inside surface of the holes(21) in the beads (20) so as to simplify the stitching of the beads butenabling their retention along the length of the body of the needlewithout manual intervention.

[0040] The free diameter of the holding means is between 110 and 200%,preferably on the order of 140%, of the average internal diameter ofsaid holes (21).

[0041] These holding means can be constituted, for example, by aflocking (53), i.e., the gluing on to the surface of the needle of verysmall viscose fibers or of another fibrous material, with these fibersbeing oriented essentially perpendicular to the axis of the needle asshown in FIG. 2.2.

[0042] The holding means can also be constituted, for example, by amultiplicity of longitudinal, transverse or helicoid strips (55). Whenthe strips (55) are longitudinal, as shown in FIG. 2.3, they create asort of feathering. When they are essentially concentric with the bodyof the needle (50) and when they are helicoid, they create a sort ofscrew thread.

[0043] These holding means can also be constituted, for example, by amultiplicity of cylindrical barbs (54) as shown in FIG. 2.4. Thesesemirigid barbs (54) can be created by molding material which isattached on to the body of the needle (50) or injected simultaneouslyupon creation of the body of the needle by injection of plastic.

[0044] In one version of the invention, the system (10) moreovercomprises at least one bead-support device (70) constituted by abaseplate (71) intended to be positioned under the warp threads (40) soas to enable maintaining said beads (20) during the forward weaving andreturn weaving of said weft thread (60) transversely to said warpthreads (40) as shown successively in FIGS. 5.1 to 5.5

[0045] This device is intended to maintain the beads (20) alignedbetween the warp threads (50) for weaving the weft thread (60) in onetransverse direction as shown in FIGS. 5.1 and 5.2, and then in theother transverse direction as shown in FIGS. 5.3 to 5.5.

[0046] The baseplate (71) presents means for the regular spacing apartof said warp threads (40) constituted, for example, by a multiplicity ofregularly spaced apart cavities (72) in which can be positioned the freeparts of the warp threads (40) as shown in FIGS. 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3.

[0047] The baseplate (71) also has a return end (73) as shown in FIG.3.4.

[0048] Thus, in order to position the needle (50) carrying the beads(20) and linked to the weft thread (60), it is necessary to slightlyraise the warp threads (40) so as to be able to slide the needle (50)beneath them as shown in FIG. 5.1.

[0049] The baseplate (71) comprises means enabling suspension of thebead-support device (70) on said warp threads (40) constituted, forexample, by a band of material (74) that can be positioned across saidwarp threads (40) as shown in FIG. 3.5. Thus, the bead-support device(70) is removable.

[0050] The bead-support device (70) can also be completely integrated inthe frame (30) or totally separate from the frame (30).

[0051] The bead-support device (70) is preferably positioned downstreamof the work in progress.

[0052] The base (71) of the bead-support device (70) presents at leastpartially an unsmooth surface (75) made, for example, by flocking orconstituted of felt so as to prevent the beads (20) from rolling.

[0053] In one version of the invention, the system (10) moreovercomprises a storage device (80) of the type comprising at least one bin(81) presenting a bottom wall (82), a top wall (83) and side walls (84)as shown in elevation in FIG. 4.1 and in side view in FIG. 4.2.

[0054] The bin (81) comprises at least one opening (85) in a side wall(84) and opening onto a receiving tray (86) comprising rims (87) to makeavailable the at least partial content of said bin (81) and toconcentrate the reentering flow when storing in the interior of said bin(81).

[0055] The receiving tray (86) is positioned in the extension of thebottom wall (82).

[0056] The receiving tray (86) thus facilitates both the filling and theextraction of the contents of said bin (81).

[0057] The receiving tray (86) comprises an unsmooth covering made, forexample, by flocking or constituted of felt so as to facilitate thestitching of the beads (20) and their threading on the needle (50) asshown in FIG. 4.6. In fact, said unsmooth covering facilitates thepositioning of the beads such that the axes of their holes areperpendicular to the receiving tray (86).

[0058] The opening (85) is fitted with a closing means.

[0059] Said bins (81) are arranged in pairs and each pair of bins (81)is equipped with a single receiving tray (86) and a single shutter (88)which can be moved between a position in which the first opening (85) isfree, shown in FIG. 4.5, a position in which both openings (85) areblocked, shown in FIG. 4.4, and a position in which the second opening(85) is free, not illustrated.

[0060] The shutter (88) separates said receiving tray (86) into twocompartments.

[0061] This shutter (88) can present the form of a rigid hammer whosehandle is mounted in a mobile manner on a shaft (89) as shown in FIG.4.1.

[0062] Thus, to discharge beads (20) stored in a bin (81), it issufficient to move the shutter (88) on its shaft (89) so as to unblockthe opening (85), then slide out the beads (20) onto the receiving tray(86) and then return the shutter (88) to its initial position. Means ofthe spring type can be provided such that this return to the initialposition is automatic.

[0063] In order to store the beads (20) in their bins (81), it issufficient to move the shutter (88) in the opposite direction and toslide the beads to the opening (85) or to tilt up the storage device(80).

[0064] The shutter (87) can also present the form of a flexible,deformable hammer, which is displaced in an essentially similar manner.

[0065] The bins (81) preferably comprise colored markers or transparentwindows so that the color of the beads stored within can be determined.

[0066] The storage device (80) can preferably be attached to the frame(30) by means, for example, of clips (90) as shown in FIGS. 4.1 and 4.3.

[0067] The storage device (80) is preferably made by injection ofplastic. The bottom (82) of the bin (81), the receiving tray (86) andthe shaft (89) form a first part and the remainder of the storage device(80), i.e., the top wall (83) and the side walls (84) of the bin (81),as well as the shutter (88) and the rims (87) of the receiving tray (86)form a second part.

[0068] The invention is described above as an example. It is understoodthat the expert in the field could implement different variants of theinvention without departing from the scope of the patent.

1. Bead-weaving system comprising means for spacing apart a multiplicityof warp threads, each of said beads being pierced by a hole throughtheir diameter and intended to be threaded on a weft thread by means ofa needle and to be positioned between each warp thread, the bead-supportdevice being constituted of a baseplate intended to be positioned underthe warp threads so as to maintain said beads during the forward weavingand the return weaving of said weft thread transversely to said warpthreads.
 2. Bead-weaving system according to claim 1, in which saidbaseplate has a return end.
 3. Bead-weaving system according to claim 1,in which said baseplate comprises means enabling suspension of saidbead-support device on said warp threads.
 4. Bead-weaving systemaccording to claim 3, in which said means enabling suspension of saidbead-support device on said warp threads are constituted by a band ofmaterial that can be positioned across said warp threads. 5.Bead-weaving system according to claim 1, in which said base presents atleast partially an unsmooth surface.
 6. Bead-weaving system according toclaim 1, in which said baseplate presents means for the regular spacingapart of said warp threads.
 7. Bead-weaving system according to claim 6,in which said regular spacing means are constituted by a multiplicity ofregularly spaced apart cavities in which can be positioned the freeparts of the warp threads.
 8. Bead-weaving system comprising means forspacing apart a multiplicity of warp threads, each of said beads beingpierced by a hole through their diameter and intended to be threaded ona weft thread by means of a needle and to be positioned between eachwarp thread, said needle presenting a body comprising at one end an eyefor passage of a weft thread and at the other end a point comprisingmeans for holding said beads.
 9. Bead-weaving system according to claim8, in which the free diameter of the holding means is between 110 and200%, preferably on the order of 140%, of the average internal diameterof said holes.
 10. Bead-weaving system according to claim 8, in whichsaid holding means are constituted by a flocking.
 11. Bead-weavingsystem according to claim 8, in which said holding means are constitutedby a multiplicity of barbs.
 12. Bead-weaving system according to claim8, in which said holding means are constituted by a multiplicity ofstrips.
 13. Bead-weaving system according to claim 12, in which saidstrips are longitudinal.
 14. Bead-weaving system according to claim 12,in which said strips are transverse.
 15. Bead-weaving system accordingto claim 12, in which said strips are helicoid.
 16. Bead-weaving systemaccording to claim 8, in which said point is blunt.
 17. Bead-weavingsystem comprising means for spacing apart a multiplicity of warpthreads, each of said beads being pierced by a hole through theirdiameter and intended to be threaded on a weft thread by means of aneedle and to be positioned between each warp thread, the systemcomprising at least one bin presenting a multiplicity of walls as wellas an opening in one wall, which opening is equipped with a dosingmeans, with said opening feeding over a receiving tray with rims to makeavailable the at least partial content of said bin and to concentratethe reentering flow when storing in the interior of said bin. 18.Bead-weaving system according to claim 17, in which said receiving traycomprises an unsmooth covering.
 19. Bead-weaving system according toclaim 18, in which said unsmooth covering is constituted by felt. 20.Bead-weaving system according to claim 17, in which said receiving trayis positioned in the extension of a base wall of the bin. 21.Bead-weaving system according to claim 12, in which said bins arearranged in pairs and each pair of bins is equipped with a singlereceiving tray and a single shutter which can be moved between aposition in which a first opening is free, a position in which bothopenings are blocked and a position in which a second opening is free.22. Bead-weaving system according to claim 21, in which said shutterseparates said receiving tray into two compartments.
 23. Bead-weavingsystem according to claim 21, in which said shutter presents a rigidhammer form whose handle is mounted in a mobile manner on a shaft. 24.Bead-weaving system according to claim 21, in which said shutterpresents a flexible hammer form.
 25. Bead-weaving system according toclaim 21, in which a bin bottom and the receiving tray form a first partand in which the top wall and the side walls of the bin as well as theshutter and the rims of the receiving tray form a second part.